Humplebee dropped into a chair.  When his eyes undazzled, he read the full report which Mr. Bowes had summarised.  It was the death-blow of his hopes.

‘Leonard Chadwick has been a victim, not a swindler,’ sounded from him in a feeble voice.  ’You see, he says that Geldershaw has robbed him of all his money—­that he is ruined.’

‘He says so,’ remarked Mr. Bowes with angry irony.

‘I believe him,’ said Humplebee.  His eyes sought Mary’s.  The girl regarded him steadily, and she spoke in a low firm voice—­’I, too, believe him.’

‘Whether or no,’ said Mr. Bowes, thrusting his hands into his pockets, ’the upshot of it is, Humplebee, that you’ve lost a good place through trusting him.  I had my doubts; but you were in a hurry, and didn’t ask advice.  If this had happened a week later, the police would have laid hands on you as well.’

‘So there’s something to be thankful for, at all events,’ said Mary.

Again Humplebee met her eyes.  He saw that she would not forsake him.

He had to begin life over again—­that was all.

THE SCRUPULOUS FATHER

It was market day in the little town; at one o’clock a rustic company besieged the table of the Greyhound, lured by savoury odours and the frothing of amber ale.  Apart from three frequenters of the ordinary, in a small room prepared for overflow, sat two persons of a different stamp—­a middle-aged man, bald, meagre, unimpressive, but wholly respectable in bearing and apparel, and a girl, evidently his daughter, who had the look of the latter twenties, her plain dress harmonising with a subdued charm of feature and a timidity of manner not ungraceful.  Whilst waiting for their meal they conversed in an undertone; their brief remarks and ejaculations told of a long morning’s ramble from the seaside resort some miles away; in their quiet fashion they seemed to have enjoyed themselves, and dinner at an inn evidently struck them as something of an escapade.  Rather awkwardly the girl arranged a handful of wild flowers which she had gathered, and put them for refreshment into a tumbler of water; when a woman entered with viands, silence fell upon the two; after hesitations and mutual glances, they began to eat with nervous appetite.

Scarcely was their modest confidence restored, when in the doorway sounded a virile voice, gaily humming, and they became aware of a tall young man, red-headed, anything but handsome, flushed and perspiring from the sunny road; his open jacket showed a blue cotton shirt without waistcoat, in his hand was a shabby straw hat, and thick dust covered his boots.  One would have judged him a tourist of the noisier class, and his rather loud ’Good morning!’ as he entered the room seemed a serious menace to privacy; on the other hand, the rapid buttoning of his coat, and the quiet choice of a seat as far as possible from the two guests whom his arrival disturbed, indicated a certain tact.  His greeting had met with the merest murmur of reply; their eyes on their plates, father and daughter resolutely disregarded him; yet he ventured to speak again.